Just Within Myself
by Dresden-Complex
Summary: During an attack on the Akatsuki base Deidara is taken hostage by Orochimaru. Now Sasori must try to find a way to get him back while dealing with the psychological torture of what may be happening to him. Rated M for yaoi, ect. Read warning inside first!
1. Without You

**Well, the** **summary should tell you all you need to know before reading. This is obviously a yaoi story containing multiple pairings (though it really is a sasodei story), lemons, limes, rape, and torture. If you don't like any of the afore mentioned things then please don't read this! Flames will be used as heat wraps for my wrists. But for anyone who does decide to read please enjoy!**

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" Even if there are times when we are far apart, through it all remember I'll be there in your heart. And on days when you start to cry you know you'll always have someone who's there at your side, to wipe all the tears away." That's what Deidara thought as he slowly opened his bloodshot eyes. They scanned around the dark cell he was contained in detecting nothing as usual. Deidara moaned but from tiredness or pain he could no longer discern.

He decided to try to move into a more comfortable position, but as soon as he moved pain shot through his arms from his wrists. He winced and slowly turned his head upward to see that the cruel metal shackles were once again cutting into his skin. Orochimaru obviously didn't want his favorite prisoner going anywhere.

He sighed at his restraints and accepted the fact that once again he would spend another day cold, damp, and in pain. He turned his eyes downward to his torn clothes which now consisted of the remnants of some revealing shirt, and a tattered skirt that barely covered him. This was truly cruel, but it was all he had known for a long while now.

It had been months since Deidara had been taken from the Akatsuki after Orochimaru's attack. He was now being held merely as a bargaining chip; a tantalizing carrot to be swung in front of Pein's nose. Deidara still had horrid images of the attack play through his skull every time he tried to sleep. The bloody dreams would play without stopping for hours, tormenting his mind as h tried desperately to fall into unconsciousness. And in an almost unbearable joke it seemed the last image that would come every night would be a vision of Sasori, battered and bloody, trying desperately with his last strength to pull Deidara back to him.

These horrid nightmares, and the chronic pain he felt was surely what was causing Deidara to so adamantly feign sleep, but tonight his body was begging for a few quiet hours of solace. Perhaps tonight he could finally fall asleep, but those hopes quickly faded as Deidara heard the lock to his prison slide out of place. The door swung open, the lights from the corridor blinding Deidara instantly. Once his eyes adjusted to the light, however, he saw Kabuto standing in the doorway.

"Lord Orochimaru needs you," Kabuto said in a monotonous voice.

"Go away, he just finished with me," Deidara hissed as he painfully turned his head to the side. Kabuto sighed and made his way carefully into the cell. Deidara may have been significantly weakened but he was still an S class criminal, and Kabuto didn't feel like taking any chance that night.

"He requires your services again," Kabuto breathed, slowly inching his way toward his prisoner.

"Don't come near me," Deidara growled, shooting a venomous glance at Kabuto.

"Hmmm, seems you won't come of your own free will, so I'll have to take you by force." Kabuto made a move for a syringe in his medical bag, and continued his advance toward his target.

'A sedative,' Deidara thought to himself as he mulled over his options in his brain. Kabuto didn't know that Deidara had a secret weapon that he had been saving for just such an occasion.

"You're smiling. Finally accepting it I suppose," Kabuto said with a smirk as he drew ever closer to his intended target.

"Maybe you're right, un," Deidara responded. 'He just needs to come a little bit closer.' Kabuto decided to quit wasting his time. He made his finally lunge toward Deidara without expecting what would happen next.

A loud explosion shook the whole base. Deep down toward its center, in a large dark room, two people turned their heads toward the door. "What was that?" one of the figures quickly asked. Its green eyes traced around the room intently looking for the direction from which the explosion had come.

"Hmm, it seems one of my prisoners is being a little naughty. We'll have to punish him," the other figure responded, chuckling slightly to itself.

"How do you intend to do that sir?" the green eyed one asked.

"I think I'll leave that up to you," the other responded, rising from its chair and heading toward the door. "Go to your room and make your preparations. I'll have him brought to you in a few minutes." With that the person left the room leaving its partner to nod in consent and quickly leave to its quarters.

In Deidara's cell Kabuto lay against one of the walls already healing his wounds with his medical ninjutsu. He was quite angry that the situation had escalated the way it had. Orochimaru was not going to be happy with him.

"I don't believe it. You had been saving that little bit of clay for awhile now I take it," Kabuto sputtered as he was still in pain. From the other side of the cell Deidara laughed in spite of himself.

"Ingenious, isn't it?" he asked in a hoarse voice. "It worked far better than I could have hoped." Deidara smirked, but his victory didn't last for too long. He heard the door squeak on its hinges, and his heart stopped in his chest. Now it was Kabuto's turn to chuckle as the figure at the door stepped into the light.

"Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto whispered.

"Kabuto, it seems you've gotten a little beat up," Orochimaru's hissing voice said in a quiet tone.

"I'll be fine," Kabuto said quickly sitting up and turning his eyes to Deidara. At the other end of the cell Deidara's breath was catching in his throat. If Orochimaru had come personally then things were about the happen that would be beyond his control. All he wanted was to get away, but somewhere inside he knew that was impossible.

"Well that is good. Don't worry about anything else, I have someone who will take care of the rest." Orochimaru turned toward Deidara malicious smile adorning his face. Deidara squirmed trying to flatten himself against the wall. "Don't try to get away. It's pointless." Orochimaru didn't give Deidara a chance to think, and he gave him no choice but to resign himself to his fate.

Sasori hadn't come out of his room for nearly a month, and he wouldn't allow anyone in as they may interrupt his broodings. The only person he would let near him was Itachi who was doing his best to tell the puppet master that the situation was not utterly hopeless. Sasori couldn't accept those words however. He had let Deidara slip right through his fingers and it was very likely that Sasori would never see his beautiful blond ever again.

The night outside was just as any other that Sasori could think of for the past few months. He sat on the windowsill, just as he had for so long now it seemed and stared at the moon hanging indifferently in the sky above him. He wished he could cry for his lost lover, but his puppet body would allow no tears to come to his eyes. Sasori now felt as he wanted to feel for so long it seemed. He felt as though he was utterly and completely dead.

Sasori let his dead body stare at the cold fire in the sky as they were the only things that could provide a fragment of solace. On this night he seemed so engrossed in the tiny pin pricks of light that he didn't even hear Itachi enter his room.

"Looking at the stars again?" Itachi asked when he sat on the desk below Sasori. The puppet master turned his maroon eyes downward and stared at the person who sat so close to him. Itachi still bore the physical scars of that day. His mangekyo sharingan had been of no use on that horrid, bloody day. Sasori didn't bother responding to Itachi. He merely turned his eyes back to the night sky. Itachi sighed, it seemed he'd get nothing from Sasori on this night either. He decided it would be best to let Sasori alone. He got up from the desk, and walked to the door. He opened it and was about to leave when he heard a small whisper come from behind him.

"Do you think Deidara can see the moon to?" Itachi turned and looked at Sasori with a tender smile. He shut the door again and walked back to the little person who sat so listlessly on the window sill.

"You know, I'm sure he can. And when he looks up at the moon and stars it helps to remind him that you love him, and you're fighting to get him back." Sasori looked to Itachi once again, his body shuttering from the Uchiha's words. Though Sasori couldn't produce tears he knew that he was still capable of crying which was something that he couldn't get rid of. He decided there was no point in holding it back and he fell off of the window sill into Itachi's arms.

Itachi held Sasori close as the puppet master sobbed in his arms. Strangely enough he had always had a knack for comforting people and now he whispered reassuring condolences to the little person in his arms. "Don't cry. We'll get him back," Itachi whispered into Sasori's ear. Sasori looked up into Itachi's eyes, trying to stop his crying.

"Are you sure?" was all he could manage to say.

"I promise," Itachi said. Sasori was able to find slight comfort in those words, but the emotions that conflicted inside of him left him utterly exhausted. He sighed and collapsed into Itachi's arms once more. As Itachi held Sasori he looked out of the window to the moon above. Though he couldn't see it for himself he imagined what it looked like in the sky above him.

"Wherever you are I hope you can see the moon to," he uttered quietly. "Because that's Sasori's sign that he's still with you."

**AN:And now, suspence. I know Sasori's a puppet but he needs to feel a little in this story, so he still has emmotions. Look for chpt. 2 soon! See ya **


	2. Life is torture

**Warning: This story contains yaoi (boy on boy love) with lemons and torture included in this part. If you don't like any of the afore mentioned please don't read!! For everyone who wants to read on enjoy chpt. 2!**

**Characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The song quote at the beginning is from the song 'Goodnight' by Evanescence.**

"We say goodnight, not good-bye." It was these words that ran through Deidara's head as he slowly regained consciousness. His blurry vision was able to perceive that this was not his cell, but what appeared to be a room, but he was not familiar with this place. Still he felt quite comfortable as he lay on a soft , warm surface.

He smiled in spite of himself at this momentary relief from pain and he snuggled into the softness beneath him. He was so numbed that he didn't sense the chakra of the person next to him.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Deidara's eyes snapped open and they turned to the green-eyed person in the corner of the room. Deidara knew this person, and his body automatically made an unconscious move to get away, but he soon found that he was bound to the bed. "Why Kimimaro?" he lamented silently to himself.

"Hmm, always trying to get away, aren't you?" Kimimaro asked in a steady voice as he advanced. As he drew closer he watched Deidara struggle futilely against his bindings finding the whole spectacle particularly amusing. He must have greatly pleased Lord Orochimaru for this opportunity.

"Your struggle is worthless," Kimimaro said as he reached the bed and Deidara's shuddering form. "If you lie still things will go quicker," he growled as he flipped Deidara onto his back and straddled his hips. Deidara tried quickly to squirm away, but Kimimaro grabbed his wrists to keep him still.

"I told you to be still." Deidara cringed as he felt pain shoot through his thighs as Kimimaro extended his bones into Deidara's skin. This was too much for the blonde's battered body and he opened his mouth to release the scream that welled in his throat, but Kimimaro covered Deidara's mouth with his own. Instinctively Deidara clamped his mouth shut, and shivered as Kimimaro tenderly nibbled at his bottom lip.

In a twisted way this gesture of seeming affection threw Deidara back into his memories to the quiet nights that he and Sasori shared, intertwined with each other, strengthening their shinobi bonds. This quiet contemplation gave Kimimaro the opening he required and he quickly thrust his tongue past Deidara's slackened lips and into his mouth. He took his time in exploring his trembling prisoner's mouth as he used his now free hands to remove the tattered fabric that served as the only barrier between the two.

When this was done he broke away from Deidara and watched in sick curiosity as the bomber gasped for breath, coughing in an attempt to clear his airways. Deidara's chest burned worse with every strained breath that he took. Kimimaro closed his eyes and listened in contentment to Deidara cough. He took his time in shrugging off his shirt and removing his tightening pants.

"And now the real fun begins," he whispered into Deidara's ear. He smiled as he heard Deidara's breahth catch. He took that as his cue and he quickly forced the blonde into another violent barrage of kisses, his hands tracing up and down the quivering body beneath him. His fingers soon found their way to the hardening nipples on his captive's chest. He moved his mouth down to the erect nubs and he took one into his mouth, sucking it in contentment. Deidara felt the heat rise in his face as his cheeks were painted with a scarlet blush. It was obvious that Kimimaro knew how to best abuse his weak spot.

Deidara couldn't hold the moan in his through back and it dropped from his lips to his captor's delight. Kimimaro didn't want to stop his teasing, but there was another point of interest that he desperately wanted to visit. He turned his eyes to the wide row of sutures that stretched across the opposite side of Deidara's chest. He knew full well what could come from playing with such a thing, but he couldn't resist 

the opportunity that had presented to him. He decided to make his move fast, and he began to playfully pull on the strings.

He suddenly felt Deidara tense and cringe as if this simple act caused him pain. That sparked Kimimaro's curiosity . "Hmm, I wonder what would happen if I pulled these out," he purred trying to relax the blonde and instill some anxiousness in him all at once.

"If you did that, there could be deadly consequences for everyone within a ten kilometer radius," Deidara breathed, though a twisted smile stretched across his face at the thought. At this point death would be better than what was happening to him.

"Mmm, how interesting," Kimimaro commented as he slowly undid the bindings that tied Deidara's hands to the bed. Once they were off Deidara quickly cracked his wrists to regain some feeling in them, and then he plaintively ran his fingers through Kimimaro's snow white hair. The green- eyed man shuddered at the pleasure, but he couldn't let Deidara get too used to his situation. He had to find someway to shock the bomber back into his fear.

Kimimaro gently removed Deidara's hand and brought it down to his mouth, tenderly kissing the mouth on Deidara's palm. The blonde gasped quickly and tried to pull his hand away. He had only let Sasori play with his hands like that. "I must say, I would be scared of these weapons of yours if you had any clay left," Kimimaro commented quickly.

Deidara didn't even bother to react and lay quietly as Kimimaro pinned his hands above his head, and roughly pushed three fingers to the bomber's lips. Deidara instinctively locked his lips against the fingers, but Kimimaro roughly pushed past the blonde's lips, and began to roll his fingers on his captive's tongue as he knew these wouldn't be any coating on Deidara's part. When he felt that they were ready Kimimaro removed the fingers and put the blonde's legs over his shoulders to reveal his entrance. There was no way that Deidara could escape now. Kimimaro had his pretty bomber by the wrists and was currently pushing his bones deep into the tiny structures.

Once he made complete sure that Deidara couldn't move, much anyway, he roughly thrust the first finger in, happy to hear the little squeak that Deidara made. "I want to hear that again," Kimimaro whispered to Deidara, biting his earlobe for emphasis as he pushed the second finger in. Deidara winced at the added pain as he was already raw and bruised, and he was given no time to adjust. Kimimaro didn't intend to stop the torture at this point so he quickly thrust the third finger, earning the second squeak he so desperately sought.

There was an air curiosity about Kimimaro as he watched Deidara try to squirm away while his body tried to lean into the touch. 'Curious,' he thought stoically. 'Let's see where the rest of the experiment leads.' After these thoughts Kimimaro removed his fingers and positioned himself for the final act. He pushed the bones in a little deeper and pushed himself in.

Deidara caught the scream in his throat and bit hard into his lip. The blood soon trickled down his chin and Kimimaro quickly swooped in and lapped at the red fluid. Deidara closed his eyes and moaned wantonly. Sasori had always done this to comfort Deidara as he would adjust. This had always been a special show off affection reserved for him and his Danna. Kimimaro took a quick mental note of the reaction, but continued without much of a pause. He pulled out of Deidara and slammed back in, which finally caused Deidara to scream as the wounds inside of him ripped open. Kimimaro felt the blood engulf his member and trickle out of Deidara, staining the sheets a deep crimson.

'Lord Orochimaru will be most pleased,' he thought to himself as he continued his dark work. And Kimimaro's lord was indeed quite pleased with his progress. Outside the door Orochimaru sneered as he listened to the anguished screams that issued from the other side of the barrier.

"Hmm, quite a bargaining chip, but I don't know if I'll want to give him back," the snake man said with a little chuckle as he leaned into the door not wanting to miss anything. He intended to learn a little more about his captive from this experience, but he was interrupted when a sound in the corridor caused him to turn away in order to see who approached. He relaxed when he saw a raven-haired boy walking toward him.

"Ahh, Sasuke, you startled me," Orochimaru hissed as his apprentice approached.

"I'm done for the day," Sasuke said in a nonchalant tone as he walked by in the direction of his room.

"Sasuke," Orochimaru said as he grabbed the boy's wrist and pulled him closer. "You've been making a lot of progress lately. Don't you want a little reward for your troubles?"

"And what did you have in mind exactly?" Sasuke asked as he moved a little further away from his master, showing that he had no intention of enjoying any intimate rewards. Orochimaru took the hint and chuckled.

"Not with me Sasuke, but with our pretty little prisoner from the Akatsuki." That final word made Sasuke freeze, his eyes widening. He knew that they had taken a prisoner from there, but Kabuto hadn't let him close to the cell. Orochimaru felt Sasuke tense, and he knew he had given the boy a rather tantalizing proposition. Perhaps if he got Deidara close enough to death Pein would be more willing to bargain. Now he only had to sweeten the deal for Sasuke.

"You can torture him into telling you anything you want to know about Itachi in anyway that you want," he whispered to the boy. He expected Sasuke to wheel around and demand immediate access, but instead Sasuke merely shook Orochimaru off and continued his trudge down the hall.

"Have him brought to me as soon as possible," he murmured over his shoulder. Orochimaru's mouth twisted into a devious smile. He would certainly be getting his monies worth soon enough, and he was looking forward to doing some more damage to his little whore.

"I mine as well let Kimimaro finish in privacy," he said quietly and glided away down the corridor.

Behind the door Deidara felt a familiar sensation that he had once lusted after, but now was something nightmarish to him; the warm tightening in his stomach that let him now he was reaching his climax. His body was giving the signs that he was getting close, and Kimimaro wasted no time in speeding up the process by searching for Deidara's sweet spot.

He angled his thrusts, and a high-pitched squeak from the bomber a moment later let him know that he had found that special bundle of nerves. Kimimaro smirked and made sure that he hammered that spot again and again.

Deidara kept his eyes closed tight and tried not to think of the pain or the event that was about to transpire. He didn't want to think of Kimimaro spilling his seed inside of him; he wanted to think of Sasori and his home. He felt the spring inside of him coil tighter until one last violent thrust sent him over the edge. "Sasori!" he yelled as spilled himself onto his and Kimimaro's stomachs. Kimimaro froze, and didn't even shudder as he found his release to Deidara's disgust.

Deidara felt Kimimaro pull out of him after a momentary pause and roll off of him. He shuddered as he felt Kimimaro's seed spread through him. His mind was blank for a moment, but his grievous error suddenly came flooding back on him. He had yelled Sasori's name, not Kimimaro's.

"What is it that you said?" he heard Kimimaro ask in a hollow tone. Deidara didn't try to plead his case. He knew it wouldn't make any difference in the outcome of the situation. In the next instant he felt Kimimaro's fist on the side of his face, and also the warmth of blood, but at that point he didn't care. He didn't even care when Kimimaro grabbed his hair and pulled him gruffly toward him.

"You yell my name you little whore, not your precious Danna's, understand?" he growled menacingly to Deidara.

"Of course Lord Kimimaro," Deidara breathed.

"You don't mean it. I'll talk to Lord Orochimaru about your inadequate performance," Kimimaro said as he quickly reattached Deidara's shackles and pulled him down the corridor and back to his lonely, quiet cell.

**AN: Poor Dei. Will the torture ever end for him? Sorry if some parts seemed really redundant but sometimes I just get caught up on certain words. Anyhow if you like it or have any critiques for me send me a review! See you guys next time **


	3. A light in chaos

When morning came Sasori walked silently into the dining hall of the Akatsuki base. He found that the only other person who was not present was Pein. It seemed that he was quite late, but in his mind he attributed that to his self imposed isolation. The other members turned their eyes to the puppet master, but couldn't find the right words to say to him. Apologies and condolences were not good enough for this.

Sasori looked at the somber scene and silently took his place at the table next to Itachi. The Uchiha looked over to Sasori, but didn't say anything to him. He was beginning to feel more worthless than helpful, and he merely turned to Kisame for comfort of his own. The others didn't speak. It wasn't proper at this point.

Sasori laid his head on the table and covered his face with his arms. He didn't want to be near these people, but it couldn't be helped. He would just have to suffer through it, at least to make Itachi feel a little better about his situation. Still, he wanted to be alone and think of Deidara. He decided the try to focus him mind of his lover, but the sound of footsteps roused him from his thoughts.

The door swung open and everyone's gaze focused on the entrance to see Pein, tired and sullen, standing in the doorway. Everyone turned their eyes downward in respect as their leader walked toward his place near Konan, his now characteristic limp slowing him down. When Pein reached his place he scanned the others and then began to talk quietly to Konan.

Sasori couldn't help but turn his eyes to Pein and watching his leader carefully. Pein had certainly suffered much on that day, the patch over his left eye telling the whole story. Sasori could still imagine the scene in his mind as Orochimaru tore Pein's rinnengan eye from its socket. The thought made him want to vomit, so he turned his eyes away.

It felt like agony to sit through breakfast and as soon as the meal ended Sasori retreated back to his private sanctuary, and to his private little world. As soon as he was in the room he collapsed onto the bed, the one that he and Deidara had shared for nearly a year, and buried his face in Deidara's pillow. A slight smile crossed his lips as he breathed in the blonde's familiar scent. This was comfort; this was all that Sasori wanted. If he never moved from that spot again he would be happy.

Sasori could feel his pants tighten, and without a second thought he threw them off, and wrapped one of his hands around d his member. He stroked the sensitive skin tenderly, holding close to Deidara's pillow, imagining his lover's image before his eyes. However this was only pretending, only a temporary relief. Sasori hardly wanted to go on like this forever. What he really wanted was Deidara back in his arms.

'Why? Why does it have to be so damn hard?' Sasori thought bitterly to himself as he aroused himself further. 'Why can't it all just stop?'

"Separation is hard, is it not?" Sasori snapped his eyes open and turned them up quickly to see Itachi standing over him.

"Learn to knock first," Sasori growled as he quickly pulled the blanket around him. Itachi could tell that Sasori was angry about this unexpected intrusion.

"I'm sorry," Itachi said with a shrug as he pulled off his Akatsuki cloak and slid under the blankets next to Sasori. The puppet master backed away a little not entirely sure of Itachi's intentions. Itachi smiled and quickly pulled him closer.

"You don't have to do this to yourself," he whispered to Sasori as he reached his hand down and gently stroked the redhead's member. "Please, let me help you." Itachi felt Sasori twitch slightly beneath him, obviously from a mix of surprise and uncertainty. Itachi chuckled.

"I would never go that far, Sasori. I only want to help make your fantasies sweeter." Itachi now felt Sasori shutter. He knew the puppet master was crying again, and he pulled him closer.

"Itachi?"

"Mmm?"

"Help me." Itachi smiled. At least Sasori was letting him in again, and not just shutting him out. He needed something to help him through this. Itachi quickly sat up and pulled Sasori into his lap and continued his gentle playfulness. Sasori clung to him tightly, his characteristically light blush spreading across his cheeks. Itachi didn't care that he wasn't receiving any affection in return. Sasori was still bleeding emotionally, and at that point Itachi knew the puppet master would only give affection to his beloved bomber. What mattered to him was that he was helping Sasori to the best of his ability.

Itachi was pulled from his thoughts by a light moan from Sasori, and a slight stickiness on his fingers as Sasori's member wept precum onto the digits. Itachi didn't speak, he merely continued his work, pushing Sasori closer to his limit, not allowing himself to be rough with the fragile little person in his arms.

'Just a little further,' Itachi thought to himself, and one final stroke sent Sasori over the edge.

"Deidara," Sasori breathed before he collapsed onto Itachi's chest. Itachi smiled and placed a light kiss on Sasori's forehead. He licked cum from his fingers, and then lay Sasori back into the bed, and pulled the covers over him once more.

"Sleep tight," Itachi whispered to the sleeping form. He then picked up his cloak, turned off the lights, and walked quietly out of the room.

Orochimaru turned his head as he heard Kimimaro open his door. He watched for a moment as his favorite follower carried his favorite whore down the hall. "Kimimaro, come here if you please," the snake man hissed as Kimimaro passed by.

"Yes Lord Orochimaru?" the white haired man asked politely of his master.

"Let me see our little prisoner," Orochimaru said as he extended his hand. Kimimaro hesitated for a moment, but eventually yanked Deidara's bindings so that he fell at Orochimaru's feet. "Now, now Kimimaro, we can talk about your anger later. This one has more work to do tonight, and I don't want him all scraped up for his next job."

Kimimaro merely shrugged the comment off and continued his march down the hall. Orochimaru smiled and quickly pulled Deidara toward Sasuke's room. When he reached the door he flung it open and tossed his human bundle onto the bed. "All yours," he said gingerly to Sasuke as he walked out of the room.

"Learn to knock first," Sasuke growled after his master as he shut the door. As soon as the lock was slid into place Sasuke turned and leaned against the door, staring at the person who lay on his bed. Deidara hadn't opened his eyes and he lay curled in a fetal position in a pathetic attempt to protect himself from further harm. Sasuke decided not to waste time and he approached the bed quickly. When he stood at the side he quickly reached his hand out and held it over Deidara, wanting to see the blonde's reaction.

He wasn't surprised by what he saw. The small gesture made Deidara wince, and curl into a tighter protective ball. Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Even for a member of the Akatsuki this was too much. He had never seen Orochimaru abuse a prisoner like this. He sat cautiously on the side of the bed, watching Deidara's actions as he did so.

"Have we had a tough night?" Sasuke asked in a quiet tone. Deidara slowly opened his eyes, less than happy to see the younger Uchiha.

"What do you care, un?" he asked angrily before moving slowly away from Sasuke fearing that the simplest gesture of resistance would anger the Uchiha. He soon felt the bed drop away from beneath his back and he stopped so as not to fall. He was already in enough pain, he didn't need the added ache of bruises from falling out of a bed. After all he hadn't fallen out of bed since he was eight.

"Don't be scared." It wasn't so much Sasuke's voice, but rather the words he spoke that made Deidara's eyes widen in disbelief. He quickly shot up, his face reddening with suppressed anger.

"What the hell do you mean don't be scared?!" Deidara yelled angrily before he felt his body totter over the edge of the small bed. Before he could reach the floor however Sasuke grabbed Deidara's bruised and scabbed wrist and pulled the blonde back onto the bed. The blonde fell against Sasuke who merely entangled him in a gentle embrace. Deidara was shocked by such treatment, and could only see this as a pretence to something else.

Deidara quickly moved his sore arms and begin to push against Sasuke, trying to get away, but the raven haired boy only held tighter. "I'm not going to hurt you. I suggest you stop struggling or you'll only hurt yourself worse." Deidara was utterly shocked by such a response.

'He has to be lying,' Deidara thought. 'He's just being so gentle so he can get me to spill my guts about Itachi.' With what had to be the last of his strength he managed to bring himself to eye level with Sasuke, and held Sasuke's gaze. "Listen, just because you're being nice to me don't think I'll tell you anything you want to know. If that's the only reason for this, kill me now, un." Sasuke seemed unmoved by Deidara's ultimatum. He merely closed his eyes and sighed, a rather unexpected reaction.

Deidara had been caught slightly off guard by Sasuke's uncaring reaction, and since he wasn't able to read the boy's movements he wasn't surprised when Sasuke flipped him onto his back in one quick motion. In a simple, instinctual motion, Deidara curled himself into a ball again, not having the strength to fight against the onslaught he was sure was coming. However, he didn't feel pain or blood, merely softness and warmth.

The bomber slowly opened his eyes and saw that Sasuke had merely covered him with the bed's blanket and had then moved away. "Go to sleep. I won't let Orochimaru near you," Sasuke said. Deidara was shocked by the words. His mind couldn't comprehend these words now, it no longer had the energy.

"But, why?" was all that Deidara could mutter as his eyes grew heavy. Sasuke stopped in front of the door and turned back to look at the person on his bed. His expression shifted only slightly, but Deidara didn't notice the change.

"Because, I owe it to Itachi."


	4. Clandestine rays of hope

**Warning: Chapter 4 with a small hint of Uchihacest, not a lot and nothing really happening, just a small hint so if you don't like it, don't read it. For everyone else enjoy!**

* * *

Sasori awoke in a general haze. His vision was still blurry, and he didn't think he could get out of bed without falling so he decided to stay put. The previous night was nothing more than an ungraspable memory, and the more Sasori tried to remember what had happened he would only get some sort of dull pressure in the back of his head. He sighed and closed his eyes again, but quickly opened them when he heard the door knob turn.

He snapped his head quickly to the side and saw that it was only Itachi. Sasori sighed and turned over quickly so that his back was facing Itachi. He really didn't want any company at the moment.

"Feeling better?" Itachi asked. Sasori just muttered a garbled response before shoving his face in his pillow. Itachi chuckled. It was clear that Sasori didn't want to be bothered. Itachi turned quickly and walked out of the room closing the door behind him. Sasori sighed and threw the covers over his head.

Itachi slowed his pace once he was out in the hall. He was happy to see that Sasori seemed to be alright, but now he had to worry about what had to happen next. He had to meet someone in less than an hour. The thought was making his stomach tie itself in knots, but it was for the mission. More importantly this was for Sasori and Deidara, and it was something that had to be done.

With that simple thought sticking in his mind he walked toward the door, cutting quickly through the kitchen so that he could figure the time from the large clock that hung on the wall. It was times such as this that being blind came as a great inconvenience.

"It's three fifteen." The voice came as a shock to Itachi and he quickly wheeled around attempting to discern who was with him from the other's chakra. He relaxed instantly when he discerned that it was only Pein.

"Thanks," Itachi said as he once again moved toward the door. He picked up his pace slightly as he didn't want to be questioned about his motives.

"Who are you going to meet?" Pein asked suddenly. Itachi froze, his hand on the door, twitching slightly as he was ready to fling it open and make his escape.

"How do you know that I'm going to meet anyone?" Itachi asked in a calm voice. If he wavered it would only be more obvious. He could feel Pein's eye on him, and he did his best not shiver. He detested being stared at.

"Oh, I'm not really sure at all," Pein admitted lightly. "I just had to ask. It's a matter of security considering the circumstances." Heh, so Itachi hadn't been blind sided after all.

"Well don't worry Leader-sama. I'm just going outside to get some air. I need something to help me relax."

"Yes, it is rather stuffy in here. Well, just be careful, avoid being seen if you can and mask your chakra to the best of your ability."

"Yes, sir," Itachi said in a respectful tone before gently opening the door.

"Oh, and Itachi."

"Yes?"

"Don't tell him everything." Itachi's eyes widened and he wheeled around to protest but he no longer sensed Pein's chakra. Damn, maybe he knew more than Itachi thought.

Truthfully Itachi was quite happy to be out of the base. The sunlight was doing more for his nerves than he thought it would have. Despite the fact that he was probably running late he kept a slow pace as he neared forest that fringed the south-east side of the Akatsuki base.

Itachi had been restless about this day for awhile, and the ominous feel of the thick forest in front of him didn't do much to calm his suspicions. His superstitions seemed to be so overriding for a moment that he lingered silently on the fringe of the woods before he stepped carefully into the embracing shadows.

Itachi knew the minute that he was heading deeper into the dense foliage as he felt the temperature around him drop. The birds in the trees around him sang their lonely dirges which carried through miles otherwise uninterrupted silence. The only other sounds that issued around him were the sounds of his own steps as he occasionally snapped a twig to let the person he was nearing know he was approaching. He was slowly beginning to calm down again which would be his biggest asset.

In the next instant he felt the warmth of the sun on his skin again, but he could still here the mournful wails off the forest animals. He was still in the forest, just in a clearing. He paused for a moment to get his bearings and see if he could pick up any traces of the chakra he was searching for. He wasn't able to discern any definite differences in the air around him. It was all just quiet.

"Hello Itachi." The sudden voice caught him off guard, but he quickly relaxed. The chakra emanating from the one who stood behind him was so familiar that he could not bring himself to be tense.

"Good to see you… Sasuke," Itachi said with a smile as he turned to face his little brother. The wind blew lightly as the two faced one another not being able to say anything.

"You're looking well, considering," Sasuke said lightly trying to break the silence between them.

"Hm, I wish that I could say the same," Itachi returned. "But this meeting is not about us. Is Deidara alright?" Silence followed Itachi's question. He didn't pressure Sasuke any. The younger Uchiha usually tried to handle delicate situations with a cautious air.

"Well he's safe for now if that's what you mean. I told Orochimaru that I would be requiring his services for another night, so he didn't question. When I left he was asleep in my bed."

"Have you… slept with him?" Itachi asked in what almost appeared to be a nervous tone. Sasuke chuckled at the question.

"Not me, but Orochimaru and Kimimaro have. He's Orochimaru's little play thing on a near nightly bases," Sasuke responded.

"What about Kabuto?" Itachi asked quickly.

"Not that I know of. He hasn't done anything yet to deserve such a big reward though I know that Kabuto has sexually abused him in other ways." Sasuke watched Itachi carefully after he gave out this information. Itachi seemed to be in some far off place, but Sasuke couldn't really understand why he was worrying so much about the bomber. From what he understood the two had always been at odds with one another since Itachi had forced Deidara into the Akatsuki. It just seemed so odd that Itachi would be exasperating his already frail health over something that shouldn't have worried him in the least.

"Itachi," Sasuke said dropping his voice down to a lower, more soothing tone. "I promise you that I won't let anything happen to him. If our plans go as we intend you'll have him back in a matter of days." However, not even these words seemed to bring much consolation to Itachi. Sasuke sighed. He was hoping that he wouldn't have to resort to the tactics that were springing to his mind, not so much that 

he didn't want to he just didn't want to reawaken any hibernating feelings, however it seemed at this point he really had no choice.

"Onii-san," Sasuke breathed in a slightly seductive tone. Itachi did seem to perk up a bit, but Sasuke could tell it was more from shock than anything. "Do you remember what we used to do to comfort each other?" Sasuke asked as he made a move toward the tree behind him. Itachi kept his ears perked as Sasuke was obviously making noises loud enough so he would be able to know what his little brother was doing.

Sasuke made sure to carefully amplify every minute sound. He threw himself against the tree behind him with some considerable force (enough to slightly bruise his back), and he did his best to produce a sound on the bark as he slid down to the ground. He appeared to be doing a good job as Itachi's blind eyes were following him as the older Uchiha's ears interpreted everything in place of his missing sight.

Itachi could already feel himself relaxing, but he wasn't quite sure why. Apparently these vaguely familiar sounds could melt troubles away. Everything seemed to throw him back to an earlier, more peaceful time from the sound of the bark crackling slightly under Sasuke's weight to the scrape of the grass blades as they were pushed aside as Sasuke spread his legs.

Itachi need no instructions to know what to do next. He took up his familiar position which his little brother had so graciously provided for him. He pulled Sasuke closer to him and lay his head on the boy's shoulder. Sasuke quickly wrapped his arms around his brother, rubbing his back comfortingly as Itachi used to do for him. He felt Itachi shudder as he slowly began to sob.

Sasuke was shocked by this. He couldn't remember a time that he had seen Itachi cry. Sasuke felt his courage over the situation waver slightly, but he wouldn't let it show any. "Please don't cry. It's going to be alright. I swear this to you." Sasuke felt the tenseness drain slightly out of Itachi, but when he spoke his voice was hoarse.

"Please, Sasuke, don't let him die," Itachi chocked. Sasuke didn't know how to respond. He wasn't sure that he could keep any of these promises. After only one night he could tell that Deidara's body was slowly starting to fail on him, but he wouldn't let Itachi know. He couldn't. He merely hugged his older brother closer to him, the tears now running down his own face.

"Don't worry. Everything will be alright."

* * *

**AN: Jeez, this chapter was long, I hope everyone survived it alright! Sorry for any mistakes with the Japanese grammar, mine isn't very good at this point (lol). I hope y'all enjoyed and are looking forward to chapter 5!**


	5. Painful Little Secrets

**Warning!! Alright, this is the part of the story where things start getting strange. This part contains Mpreg, so if you don't like it don't read it!! For anyone who wants to find out how this happened, by all means, read on. Also be advised of the language, and such...**

**Characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto**

As soon as the dry air of Orochimaru's subterranean base hit Sasuke he felt his eyes burning again. That was one reason he hated crying, it always dried the eyes out so much. After quickly rubbing his eyes (and finding little relief from the act) he slowly descended into the darkness, being careful not to let anyone know that he had returned. With that in mind he weaved the corridors in a random pattern in an attempt to make it seem as though he was just meandering around.

Once Sasuke knew that it was safe it return to his room he quickly took the closest corridor and walked in a leisurely pace toward his destination. It appeared that his plan to avoid anyone and not arouse suspicion had worked quite well. He smiled in spite of himself at his little victory of sorts until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Sasuke, I haven't seen you all day. What have you been up to exactly?" The boy spun around quickly to see who it was that was detaining him and was shocked to see Kimimaro standing in front of him. His heart sank quickly. He knew what Kimimaro wanted and he wasn't about to give it to him.

"I was out training earlier. After that I just decided the walk around and think," Sasuke said in an even tone. Kimimaro didn't respond. He merely stared at the boy before smiling.

"Hm, well good for you. Lord Orochimaru is quite pleased with your progress. Pleased enough to give you quite a reward in return." Sasuke felt his heart skip, but he kept his expression level.

"That's right. In fact I was just going to go enjoy some more of my little prize," he said with a small smirk forming on his lips. Kimimaro chuckled lightly at Sasuke's response.

"Well have fun, but don't get too used to having our prize all to yourself. I intend to enjoy him again," the white haired man hissed in Sasuke's ear before he passed the boy and continued down the corridor.

As soon as Sasuke reached his door he put his head up to it and sighed. 'Damn, why was Kimimaro looking for me? Does he suspect something?' Sasuke's mind was racing, and it was beginning to only make him feel sicker than he already did. He quickly moved his hand down to the door knob, and twisted quickly wanting only to lay down and sleep. However he had one more thing he had to attend to first.

Once he was inside the room he shut the door and locked it before turning around to check the person on his bed. However as soon as he turned around he panicked. Deidara wasn't where Sasuke expected him to be. The bed in front of him was empty.

Sasuke could feel his heart beating out of his chest, and his breathing was clearly audible in the room. The only logical thing that Sasuke could think was that Orochimaru had stolen Deidara back to him. Without processing he looked around the room frantically trying to locate him. "No, this isn't right. Where is he?" Sasuke asked of himself frantically as if his subconscious had the answer.

He was ready to storm out of the room and demand Deidara's location but then he heard a barely audible sound issuing from behind one of the room's doors. Sasuke followed the sound quickly and found that it was coming from his bathroom. At this point Sasuke didn't care about decency and without a second thought he flung the door open and looked in anguish and horror at the scene in front of him.

His eyes quickly settled on Deidara who was alone and shuttering, kneeling in front of the toilet, a line of thick, viscous fluid, dripping from his mouth. As soon as he heard the door open he lethargically turned his head toward Sasuke. He saw the boy shuttering, obviously worried and scarred. Sasuke merely starred for a moment, but gulped down his fear and moved closer to Deidara.

"What happen…" Sasuke began to ask, but before he could finish Deidara shrank back and slowly crawled away from the Uchiha and quickly took refuge in the shower. It took some force of will but he carefully approached the curtain, and pulled it back to see Deidara, shaking and scrunched into the small shower corner. Sasuke shook from what he saw, but he found his voice and forced it out his throat.

"Deidara, you're not well. Please, let me help you, you have to be treated now," he said in as soothing yet convincing a voice as he could muster as he slowly reached for the blonde. He never got to his destination, however, as Deidara quickly slapped his hand away.

"Stay away from me," the bomber muttered in a horse growl. He lurched forward, in an obvious attempt to move away from Sasuke, but as soon as he did so he doubled over and vomited again. Sasuke could do nothing as he watched, but as soon Deidara tried to move again he quickly took the bomber into his arms and carried him back to the bed. Deidara seemed shocked and angered by Sasuke, but didn't fight. He was obviously too sick to try.

"Here," Sasuke said suddenly. "Hold still." The boy took a warm towel and carefully wiped the remnants from Deidara's mouth. "Please, don't move," he urged and he moved back to the bathroom. Sasuke had to grip the towel bar as he was beginning to feel sick himself. He knew that he wouldn't be nearly as concerned if he hadn't noticed that Deidara had been vomiting a fair amount of blood along with his stomach contents and bile.

"This can't be happening," Sasuke muttered as he slowly moved toward the sink and began to slowly clean the bathroom. When he had finished his task Sasuke stumbled out of the bathroom and saw that Deidara had listened to him and was curled up in his bed fast asleep. Sasuke sighed and moved toward the slumbering form in front of him, carefully removing the blankets to inspect Deidara's body to see if there had been any external affects of this mysterious sickness.

Sasuke was relieved to see that other than the cuts and bruises that were slowly starting to heal Deidara's body seemed to be alright. However, his eyes did catch one strange indiscretion. He noticed a slight swelling in Deidara's lower abdomen. Sasuke trembled when he saw that as he was worried that perhaps Deidara had a serious internal injury. He quickly moved onto the bed and pulled Deidara gently into his arms.

In order not to wake Deidara Sasuke gently pressed on the swollen area, attempting to feel anything out of the ordinary. However, the boy was about to get quite much more that he bargained for. As Sasuke continued his gentle progress the strange mass suddenly felt as if it moved, and in a rather unnatural way. Sasuke suddenly pulled his hand back in shock and stared at Deidara. Sasuke's hand trembled as he kept it suspended over the blonde.

"No, I must be crazy," Sasuke whispered to himself as he decided to make a second inspection. He slowly moved his hand down toward Deidara, but his wrist was suddenly stopped. The boy looked over to see Deidara gripping his wrist tightly.

"Deidara, something's wrong with you. Please, let me help…"

"Nothing's wrong," Deidara muttered in a horse voice. Sasuke was utterly shocked by the bomber's response.

"You don't know what you're saying," Sasuke said desperately, his concern growing. "All I need is a quick examination to see what's wrong."

"Please Sasuke, they've been through too much lately. Let them rest." Sasuke shook his head slightly. To him it seemed Deidara was truly becoming delusional from the constant abuse and injuries. His mind 

was processing everything that could possible be wrong with Deidara when he suddenly felt the mass move again. This only served to confuse Sasuke more as he knew Deidara hadn't moved at all. He found himself running out of options until his eyes widened. It all seemed to fit into place, but the idea seemed impossible. It couldn't happen, could it?

Sasuke turned his eyes back toward Deidara with concern and shock etched over his face. "Deidara, are you… pregnant?" he asked. The bomber didn't respond. He merely turned his eyes away confirming Sasuke's suspicion.

"How long?" Sasuke asked.

"Four months," Deidara responded. Four months. Just before the attack.

"Well at least no one here did this to you," Sasuke murmured.

"No. They are mine and Sasori's masterpiece," Deidara countered quickly and with more force than Sasuke had expected.

"Does Sasori know?" he asked quickly. Deidara nodded. That explained why Sasori seemed to be so upset and desperate, well more so than seemed necessary, to get Deidara back. Sasuke's head was spinning at this point. The situation was slowly progressing to something he couldn't handle. He had no idea how he was going to save one life, let alone two. Wait a minute, Deidara had said 'they' as in more than one. Fuck. How the hell was Sasuke supposed to save three lives? He groaned at his apparent incompetence and at the fact that he so badly wanted to help Itachi and save Deidara.

"Sasuke." The sound of Deidara's voice catapulted the boy back to reality and he looked down at the frail person he held in his arms. The bomber's appearance alone was enough to make his heart sink.

"Yeah?" he responded in a frail whisper.

"You know, you can't save them all," Deidara stammered weakly before closing his eyes. Sasuke felt his heart skip a beat when he heard those words. In fact they bothered him so much he made a quick motion to make sure that Deidara was still breathing, which much to the younger boy's relief, he was. He had merely fallen asleep which was certainly for the best.

With a sigh Sasuke lay Deidara back onto the mattress and covered him with the blankets. His hands were still shaking as he got to his feet and found that his knees were unstable as well. 'Why the hell would he say something like that?' Sasuke questioned as he stumbled over to the windowsill and clumsily climbed up onto it.

The Uchiha let out a heavy sigh as he leaned against the window frame and stared into the sky above him. His room was the only one that had this terrestrial view and he felt that he had never been so happy to see the sky. "Never knew I could feel like this; like I've never seen the sky before," Sasuke breathed quietly as his eyes met the moon above him.

"Oh Tsukuyomi why is it that things are always so damn screwed up? Please, don't let him die," Sasuke muttered as he leaned against the cold glass and closed his eyes.

* * *

**AN: Oh my! Yep, Deidara and Sasori are gonna be parents!! Isn't that exciting?! The thought is just overwhelmingly cute to me, so please, bear with craziness! I hope you all enjoyed and are looking forward to the next chapter! Ah, and thanks for all the support on this story so far! You guys are all awesome!! hugs all of you **


	6. Time is of the Essence

**Warning: This part only contains some language so it's not that bad. Enjoy!**

**Characters: Masashi Kishimoto**

The steam in the bathroom was so thick that it rolled gently out of the crack between the closed door and the floor. The steam inside the bathroom rolled leisurely along the floor and playfully coated the windows with a frosty fog. The white steam collected over the water from which it came and encased the person who sat in its midst.

Sasori stared listlessly at the ceiling despite the fact that the thin white cloud was obscuring it from total view. No thoughts were really running through his tired mind other than a simple feeling that the water must have been increasingly hot. He could no longer feel anything as his sense of touch had waned away over the years.

For the first time since Deidara had been taken away from him his mind was blank. He summed it up to sheer exhaustion earlier in the day and had not thought on the subject since. Right no he really just wanted to relax and let the tensions drain away; to get a littler closer to being dead. That was his intention but the plan was destroyed when he heard the door slide open and the calming steam was sucked out of the room.

Sasori was angry to think he was going to interrupted again and he quickly turned his head to the side to see who it was that had shattered his peace. To his surprise it was not Itachi, but Konan who walked into the bathroom, and quickly shut the door behind her. She sighed and turned around only to see Sasori staring back at her.

"Oh! Sorry," she said in shock as she quickly bowed and made a move to leave the room.

"You don't have to leave, it's alright," Sasori mumbled before returning his gaze to the ceiling.

"Alright," she replied as she slowly moved toward the warm water. When she reached the edge she took only a minute to look at Sasori before putting her foot in the water to test it.

"OW!" A moment later the small room echoed with Konan's cry of pain. This snapped Sasori back to his thoughts and he looked over to the woman beside him.

"Sorry, I should have warned you that it's a little hot," the puppet master said nonchalantly.

"Could have used that info a minute ago," Konan fumed as she inspected her foot for any burns. "Isn't the heat bothering you?" she asked in annoyance.

"Not anymore," Sasori replied. "Nothing really bothers me anymore." Konan looked over to Sasori, a sad expression on her face. Either that was a major lie or Sasori was going numb. He had said once that was the last step in the Hitokugutsu. He had also said that losing everything that made him human didn't bother him in the least, and that he was waiting for the process to finish. However since Deidara had come along Sasori had valued what emotional capacity he had left and had begun to fear losing it.

Konan was already worried about Sasori, but hearing him say that was like having a knife shoved through her heart. "Hey, aren't you going to get in? The water's a little cooler over on the shallower end."

"Yeah, uh that sounds good," Konan stammered as she rose and moved to the other end of the room. Her mind was still focusing on other things, like the message she was supposed to be giving to Sasori. After all if she was worried this may be the best way for her to help. Now she felt stupid for trying to run away earlier.

"You know Sasori, I'm actually glad that I found you," she said as she removed her towel and slipped into the water. There was no need for modesty between the two as they were both spoken for by jealous lovers.

"Oh really; and why is that?" Sasori asked, his monotonous voice returning.

"Pein's wanted to talk to you for awhile," Konan replied.

"About what?"

"He needs to talk to you about Deidara." Konan knew those simple words would hurt. Sasori didn't move for awhile, almost as if he were in a trance. "He wants to help you, and he thinks he has an idea…" Konan didn't say anything more. She saw Sasori's eyes open wide.

"He can get Deidara back?" Sasori asked, his breath almost catching in his throat.

"Well, he has a plan at least. He knows the situation is dire at this point. The longer Deidara stays with Orochimaru the larger the chance of a miscarriage…" Konan stopped herself in her words. She didn't want to say the words she had said because she didn't want the puppet master to think about losing his lover and his unborn children. However, Sasori had probably been brooding on that for awhile now.

Konan heard Sasori sigh followed by the sound of water falling from his body as he got out of the tub. She was really worried that she had said the wrong thing, but she couldn't do anything about it now. "I'm sorry if I said something…" she started in a meek tone.

"Don't worry about it. You're fine," Sasori responded as he moved toward the door.

"Then where are you going so quickly? You ought to relax a little more." Sasori looked back to Konan, his hand on the door and shook his head.

"Mine as well go see what Leader sama wants. If he really can save Deidara there's no time for me to relax." And with that Sasori slipped out the door.

In a darkened room Pein sat quietly, his head back against the chair. As always he was highly lethargic, but he hoped that Sasori would come. Time was a precious commodity, one that Deidara was losing fast. The darkening night only seemed to punctuate that fact even more. The bright orb of the moon was slowing being taken over by dark, creeping clouds. The wind suddenly gusted outside, making the window panes quiver.

Pein watched the weather change and slowly transform itself into something different, something more monstrous. His half lidded eye would only take in so much, and his brain would only process at a slowed pace anymore. "What a sad omen," Pein breathed after a moment of thought. "The sky only weeps when a true tragedy occurs."

Sasori stood outside of Pein's door, staring at the structure, not yet ready to enter. He hadn't spoken to his Leader since the attack. Quite truthfully he hadn't spoken in depth with anyone but Itachi since then. It was less nerves and more the continually creeping numbness that kept him away from others, from reality. A part of him wanted all of this to stop and for the numb feeling to go away, and yet another part just wanted to go numb forever.

As Sasori stood at the door he wasn't sure which part would win out. He really didn't care honestly. Neither one appeared to be strong enough to make him move any further. The adrenaline that had gotten him that far had died and now even the thoughts of a plan to save his beloved weren't arousing any feeling him at all. How sad that his feelings were draining away so quickly.

"It's the rain you know." Sasori wasn't even shocked when he heard the voice behind him. He turned to see Pein standing behind him. "You should come inside," Pein said as he opened the door to the office and moved aside, beckoning for Sasori to enter. No trace of emotion crossed the red head's face as he mechanically moved his limbs into the room as Pein shut the door behind them.

Sasori's eyes traced around the darkened chamber he now found himself in. He hadn't been in Pein's office in quite a long time, and he had forgotten how dismal it was. Sparse furnishings along with odd and depressing knick-knacks were the only contents, the only signs that someone used the space at all. The room made some strange feeling rise where Sasori's stomach used to be, and said feeling was only amplified by Pein's newest oddity. On a shelf on the wall opposite the desk sat a jar from which Pein's disconnected eye watched everything that happened. The fact that the eye was even there at all was unsettling enough and it was worsened by the fact that the thing was actually being kept alive in a vile concoction that resembled embalming fluid but smelled worse.

The sight made Sasori shutter slightly and he quickly turned away and watched Pein hobble back to his chair. The orange haired man took his seat with only minor difficulty and looked thoughtfully out the window. The quiet made Sasori edgy, he wanted to hear what Pein had to say not admire storm clouds.

"You called me here for a reason, Leader sama?" Sasori asked quickly. Pein shifted his eye over to Sasori and shrugged.

"I suppose I did," he said as he whirled his chair around so he was facing the puppet master.

"Well?" Sasori asked, raising an eyebrow.

"My plan is working out as I had hoped. This is fortunate for you because this means you'll have your little bomber back in your arms by this time tomorrow," Pein replied as his body slumped lower. Sasori looked at Pein with what appeared to be disbelief.

"You've had a plan in the works this whole fucking time and you didn't tell me?" he growled with a semblance of anger tingeing his voice.

"Something like that," Pein said; nonchalantly shifting his position. Inside Sasori something was starting to wake up again. Without a second thought he walked over to the desk and slammed his fist down upon it. Pein looked up at the puppet, unimpressed.

"Why the hell didn't you say something? If you had told us then we could have helped you and saved Deidara Jashin knows how much suffering!" Sasori yelled. Pein didn't react. He looked into the puppet's angered face without any apparent emotion invading his own. He slowly shifted his eye downward to Sasori's shaking hand and gently lay his own over it. Sasori was taken aback by the gesture and wasn't sure quite how to react to it.

"I'm sorry for not telling you any of this Sasori, but we all agreed it would be better if you didn't know until the plan was almost complete." The red head couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You will however be involved in the final phase," Pein continued.

"Final phase?" Sasori asked, his voice now shaking.

"Tomorrow, we attack Orochimaru's base. We have someone on the inside who has been helping to ensure our overall success. As I told you, Deidara will be back with us by this time tomorrow." Sasori was speechless; no words really seemed right. Pein looked into Sasori's troubled eyes and his own seemed to reflect the sentiment.

"Please Sasori, forgive me for this," he uttered quietly. Sasori still couldn't comprehend what was happening but words slowly returned to his mouth.

"It's alright Leader sama. I never blamed you."

**AN: Oh my! Pein has a plan, but will it work? Hopefully! Then Sasori will be happy again! I don't like depressed Sasori, he's depressed enough he doesn't need to be more so. Anyhow, I hope you all look forward to the neext chapter and enjoy!**


	7. The calm before the final storm

**Warning: Just language again. Enjoy!**

**Characters: Masashi Kishimoto**

* * *

For some reason the halls seemed darker, the humidity more palpable, the shadows more menacing. Sasori noted all of this with a lethargic curiosity as he moved toward his room, desperate for sleep. Why was it, he wondered, that everything was seeming so much more dismal when it ought to be radiating light? Even the tiny crystals stuck into the walls seemed to be losing their natural luster.

"Why am I so depressed?" he asked himself quietly as he reached his door and lay his hand upon the icy knob. He looked behind him, a trace of nervousness invading his gaze, as he stared into the closing night. Outside a flash of thunder illuminated the area, the light evincing the murky hallway and showing there were no demons lurking in the somber midst of the passage. Sasori sighed at his superstitions and turned around still feeling that these hidden creatures where wielding their knives at his back, ready to drive them inside of him.

Sasori opened the door at a leisurely pace and looked into the darkened room, surprised to see the light on his desk was producing a small window of light. His eyes quickly traced the small illuminated area to see who dare violate his sanctity at this late hour. Without much surprise he saw Itachi sitting on his bed. He scrunched his face in anger and moved to his bed, completely ignoring the person who already sat there. He took his seat on the foot of the bed and turned his back to Itachi.

"Did you know?" he asked suddenly, breaking the awkward silence. Itachi didn't say anything and Sasori turned to see how he was reacting. Itachi's movements gave away nothing.

"Yes, I knew," he responded finally. This response was the expected one.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Sasori asked, trying to keep his growing anger under control and masked in his voice.

"Didn't Pein tell you? We all agreed that it wouldn't be right. You're not in your right mind at the moment Sasori, and we didn't want you to try something stupid that could have gotten you and Deidara both killed."

"How the hell do you know that that's what I would have done?" Sasori growled. He heard Itachi sigh and move off the bed.

"Would you just relax?" Itachi asked as he pushed Sasori backwards, pulled the blanket out from under him and threw it over the small form. Now Sasori wasn't exactly used to being put to bed. He wasn't three after all. "Now take my advice to heart Sasori and try to get some sleep. You'll need all of your strength for what is going to happen tomorrow," Itachi said softly as he shut off the lamp and moved to the doorway.

Sasori's eyes wearily traced after him as he moved, his form seeming to become more silhouetted as he moved toward the menacing shadows of the hallway. As he reached the threshold it was as if small projections of darkness were reaching in to pull him into themselves. Sasori noted this strange happening but chalked it up to an optical illusion and a tired mind. Itachi looked back when he reached the door, perhaps out of habit, and then crossed the threshold, shutting the protective wooden slab behind him.

And as simply as that Sasori was left alone, left to think about what would be happening in his near future. He rolled onto his side so that he was facing the wall and closed his eyes. The only thoughts that would come were those of Deidara being next to him again and finally being safe. "My love, I'm coming. Please, please still be there when I arrive." With that Sasori gave himself over to sleep.

From his solitary window Sasuke watched the storm as it roared on. The rain had been falling heavily foe quite some time, and a small pool had collected at the window's bottom. The raven haired boy watched the little pool as it quivered with each new rain drop that hit it. To him it resembled the reservoir of tears that well in the eyes before they fall. Sasuke was far from a superstitious person, but he hoped that this wasn't some sort of omen telling of a forthcoming tragedy. As far as he was concerned the only tears that would be shed tomorrow would be those of joy at what would surely be a happy reunion.

A sudden, loud crack of thunder made Sasuke jump suddenly as it rattled the window pane against which he lay. His previous thoughts receded back into the depths of his subconscious and he slowly moved off the windowsill. Tomorrow was a day that he needed to rest for so he decided to make his way to the futon he had laid out for himself.

He was so wary that he didn't even bother to change into his bed clothes; he merely flopped down on the comfortable little mat. He moved his head toward his bed though and stared at the still form that slumbered there. Sasuke smiled in spite of himself. He was happy, honestly, that Deidara could sleep that peacefully. It seemed that sleep had been the only peace allotted to the poor boy lately. At least tomorrow this ordeal would end for him and he could go home and pick up the pieces of his shattered life, and hopefully move on and pick up where he had left off. He even had a new life that would be beginning in only five short months. All this was certainly the light at the end of the tunnel.

Sasuke was quite happy to be having these pleasant little thoughts before he fell asleep, but he wasn't aware of the fact that he was being watched. "Is something wrong?" the quiet, strained voice questioned. Sasuke jumped at the sound, but relaxed when he saw a blue eye staring at him from the bed.

"No, why?" he asked in response. Deidara smirked at Sasuke's nonchalant air.

"You were smiling," the blond said matter-of-factly. "That's uncharacteristic for you lately." Sasuke's smile vanished at the words. He wasn't sure if he should tell Deidara the truth or make something up, but the latter option seemed rather cruel considering the last few months.

"Well," he said finally, "I have a reason to be smiling now."

"And that would be?" Deidara asked with an air of curiosity. He noticed that Sasuke looked carefully around the room, seemingly making sure that no spy was around to hear what he was about to say. When he conformed that they were alone Sasuke turned back to the blonde and spoke.

"They're coming for you tomorrow," he said softly. Deidara's eyes widened. He didn't need any clarification of those words, they were the ones he had been hoping for. "By tomorrow night," Sasuke continued, "You will be back with Sasori." Sasuke waited patiently for his words to sink in. He was waiting for some sort of shout o happiness (which he knew would be dangerous), but the only thing he heard was the sound of soft crying. This caught Sasuke off guard and he quickly crawled over to the side of the bed and lay his hand on Deidara's head.

"Come now, why the tears?" he asked. "This is a happy occasion." Deidara didn't respond; he merely reached to his eyes to wipe the tears away. Sasuke smiled feebly, and rubbed the blonde comfortingly.

"Do you promise?" Deidara finally asked. Sasuke was surprised by the question, but his smile grew to one of tenderness. He reached down and took Deidara's hand in his own.

"Yes, I promise, I absolutely promise you," he said tenderly. He saw Deidara smile.

"Thank you," the blonde replied quietly before closing his eyes.

"Of course, now sleep," Sasuke said. "This is almost over."

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**AN: OMGZ, I had a lot of fun writing the begining of this chapter. I like using flowery language every now again because big words make me smile! Anyhow I don't know when this thing is gonna get updated again... I finally caught up with myself and between school and my massive love for sleeping and a request I've got in the works this one may not see any new chapters for a little bit. Be patient though, I'll do my best to stay within reasonable time frame! Hope you all enjoyed!**


	8. Look at this

**Naruto belongs to Misashi Kishimoto**

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In the corridor outside of Sasuke's door Kabuto stood stunned by the news he had just overheard. After the initial surprise wore off a sudden and malicious smile adorned his face. "So, you think that Lord Orochimaru will let the Akatsuki just walk in here like that, after everything he's gone through lately? Not without his demands being met." Kabuto made an abrupt change in his direction and ran off toward Orochimaru's chambers.

Kabuto knocked on the door in front of him and waited restlessly for the response. He was already shifting uncomfortably from what he had to tell his master, and was trying to word it simply in his head. He didn't want to make Orochimaru mad as he was still worrying about injures from Deidara; he didn't need more to nurse. What seemed like an eternity later Kabuto heard the grainy voice of his master beckon him inside.

Truthfully Kabuto hated this little room. He wasn't entirely sure whether it was the pickled animals in various jars (many of them sporting extra heads or appendages) or the nauseating smell of blood that just seemed to linger around. Either way this was most definitely his least favorite room in the whole compound. He found Orochimaru in his usual spot, in the chair in the middle of the room.

"Is something wrong Kabuto?" he asked calmly, continuing to flip through the book in his hands.

"Sir, apparently the Akatsuki are planning an attack on the base tomorrow," Kabuto blurted out. He didn't want to dance around this subject. He was ready for an outburst from Orochimaru, but one didn't arise. Instead he heard the snake man chuckle.

"Oh really? Honestly I expected better from Pein. He should know it's not going to be that easy," Orochimaru replied as he rose from the chair and put the book aside.

"I take it you have a plan, Sir?" Kabuto asked as a wicked smile stretched across his face.

"You could say that," Orochimaru said. "I hope that you'll be willing to fight as well, Kabuto?"

"Of course Sir! I happen to have a few new attacks as well."

"Very good. Come on now Kabuto, I have something to show you," Orochimaru said as he walked toward the door at the other end of the room. Kabuto obediently followed after his master, curious of what Orochimaru was up to. The two of them walked down the corridor on the other side the room and approached the lone door at the end.

Kabuto noticed a light green glow emanating from the bottom of the door and his stomach dropped out. He knew that Orochimaru probably had a sickening new experiment that he had been working on for this occasion. Kabuto gulped backed the nauseous feeling that was rising in his throat and when they reached the door he walked beyond the threshold when Orochimaru held it open for him.

The room was not exactly what Kabuto was expecting. There was only one large tube in the middle of the room. No mutated animals in jars lined the walls, no racks of poisons and obscure medicines stood in the corners. There was only the lone tube. The light green glow emanated from the tube, but from what Kabuto could see there was nothing in it. He was completely confused by the whole situation, but Orochimaru walked passed him and approached the structure.

Kabuto watched as a button on the side of the tube was pushed and a form dropped into the liquid. Orochimaru looked back to Kabuto who carefully made his way to the structure and stood beside the snake man. He examined the figure in the tube for a moment, the nauseous feeling returning to his stomach.

"He's wonderful, isn't he?" Orochimaru asked in a pleased hiss. "I think he's probably my most successful experiment yet." Kabuto hid his disgust well. He had learned to do so early on in his service.

"And you think he'll be ready to fight, Sir?" Kabuto asked, his voice remaining even.

"Of course. He's programmed to kill, he'll follow his instincts well enough."

"And he can maintain his form outside of the tube?"

"Such trivialities Kabuto. We've already proven with Suigetsu that's a simple enough task. Why are you asking so many questions anyhow? You don't trust how far our research has come?"

"I just want to ensure our success, Sir," Kabuto said quietly. Orochimaru smiled.

"You're a good disciple, Kabuto. I suggest we let out little creation rest now. He needs to be ready for tomorrow," Orochimaru said as he walked toward the door.

"Of course," Kabuto replied. He chance one last look at Orochimaru's newest creation before he followed his master out the door.

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**AN: OMG, it's back! And it's short! And what has Orochimaru created?! You'll just have to wait and find out! Hope y'all enjoyed!!**


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